Download 3 - Mitosis activity (recovered)

The Classroom as a Cell (recovered)
Activity #1 – Animal Cell Mitosis
Set Up:
The walls of the classroom are the cell membrane.
The nuclear membrane students form a circle by holding hands.
The nucleus should contain one of each chromosome (one person from each pair of socks).
Everyone else should be against the wall (they don’t exist yet).
During interphase
DNA is duplicated (your sock partner joins you in the nucleus and hooks arms).
During prophase
the strands of DNA coil up to form rope-like structures called chromosomes that get shorter and
thicker,
the nuclear membrane begins to dissolve and disappear,
centrioles from opposite sides of the cell form spindle fibres (yarn) to attach to centromeres of
chromosomes.
During metaphase
the spindle fibres tug the double-stranded chromosomes into a line across the middle of the cell.
During anaphase
the spindle fibres shorten, pulling the centromere apart, causing the chromosomes to move to
opposite poles of the cell.
During telophase
the chromosomes are located at opposite ends of the cell,
the spindle fibres begin to disappear,
a nuclear membrane forms around each new set of chromosomes (which uncoil into thin
chromatin)
During cell division (cytokinesis)
the cytoplasm pinches off at the centre of the cell to form two cells (like a draw-string on a gym
bag).
Back to interphase
the two new little cells will grow,
replicate DNA again,
and prepare for mitosis.
Activity #2 – Plant Cell Mitosis
Set Up:
The walls of the classroom are the cell membrane and wall.
The nuclear membrane students form a circle by holding hands.
The nucleus should contain one of each chromosome (one person from each pair of socks).
Everyone else should be against the wall (they don’t exist yet).
During interphase
DNA is duplicated (your sock partner joins you in the nucleus and hooks arms).
During prophase
the strands of DNA coil up to form rope-like structures called chromosomes that get shorter and
thicker,
the nuclear membrane begins to dissolve and disappear,
no centrioles, have spindle fibres.
During metaphase
the spindle fibres tug the double-stranded chromosomes into a line across the middle of the cell.
During anaphase
the spindle fibres shorten, pulling the centromere apart, causing the chromosomes to move to
opposite poles of the cell.
During telophase
the chromosomes are located at opposite ends of the cell,
the spindle fibres begin to disappear,
a nuclear membrane forms around each new set of chromosomes (which uncoil into thin
chromatin)
During cell division (cytokinesis)
a new cell plate grows in the centre of the cell.
Back to interphase
the two new little cells will grow,
replicate DNA again,
and prepare for mitosis.